NEWS DESK No new railway extension funding in budget
CONCEPT plans for the Frankston Station multi-storey car park. Picture: Supplied
Multi-storey car park on the way Brodie Cowburn brodie@baysidenews.com.au THE long-awaited multi-storey car park at Frankston Station is moving closer to construction with community consultation underway. Consultation is open now. The project is expected to cost $87 million with a projected completion date of 2024. The car park project is expected to include 500 parking spaces, and CCTV. It will be delivered by the Level Crossing Removal Project. The federal and state governments have each allocated $43.5 million to the project. Consultation on the project originally closed on the Engage Victoria website
on 18 March, despite a letter sent to local business owners seen by The Times reading that consultation would close on 25 March. Consultation reopened after the error was brought to the attention of LXRP, and will remain open until 26 April. A Level Crossing Removal Project spokesperson said “the new multideck car park at Frankston Station will provide 500 new car parking spaces and free up local streets to make getting to work, schools, shops, the city or elsewhere more convenient for commuters.” “We look forward to working with the community to build a space that everyone can benefit from for years to come.” The Frankston commuter car park
was an election promise made by the federal government in the leadup to the last federal election. Since then a number of car parking proposals made in other areas across Victoria have been scrapped, and the promises were investigated by the Auditor-General’s office (“Car parking promises not appropriate - audit”, The Times, 6/7/21). Proposed car parks at Seaford and Kananook were scrapped by the federal government last year, but plans were eventually revived After the projects were abandoned, Frankston Council purchased a site near the Frankston Basketball Stadium which will now be used to build car parking on. Provide feedback at engage.vic.gov. au/car-parks-for-commuters
BY MIKE HAST* The federal budget has once again put Victoria on infrastructure rations but it’s the outer suburbs that suffer most, says advocacy group the Committee for Greater Frankston. Canberra’s $225 million for the proposed Frankston rail line extension remains on the table, but the Victorian government continues to ignore the project. “While the Coalition government and the state government argue about infrastructure spending on mega projects, there has been no action on a nationally important project Infrastructure Australia listed in 2020 and said should be built in the next five years,” said Ginevra Hosking, the Committee for Greater Frankston CEO. “The Coalition government has not added one cent to its 2019 initial commitment of $225 million when it promised to build Frankston’s rail extension and the Victorian Labor Government continues to obstruct the project.” Post-budget it was revealed that Victoria had asked Canberra for “new” money for just two major infrastructure projects – a road in Melbourne’s north and stage one of Suburban Rail Loop from Cheltenham to Box Hill. “This budget was a great opportunity for Canberra to fully fund the minimum first stage requirement – a 5km extension to Langwarrin with a new station at Monash University, and a 2000-space park and ride plus bus terminus for Mornington Peninsula commuters,” Ms Hosking said “Five per cent of Melbourne’s population resides beyond the end of the Frankston line – and the figure grows daily. Mornington Peninsula, Langwarrin, Karingal and Frankston South
residents need stations near where they live to connect to Melbourne’s rail network.” Ms Hosking said there’d been bipartisan federal support for extending the line at the past two federal elections “but not enough money committed to building it. Without additional state and federal government backing, this project will not proceed. Such ineffective civic leadership is not fair on Frankston and Mornington Peninsula residents”. One bright light in the budget was $18 million for a 312-space, multi-deck commuter car park near Kananook train station. It was first promised before the 2019 election but abandoned “so its rebirth is welcome”, Ms Hosking said. “Frankston Council and Canberra deserve praise for nutting out a good plan. They’ve resolved a politically challenging deadlock.” The committee asked the main parties’ election candidates in Dunkley for comment. Liberal candidate Sharn Coombes said “it’s terrific to see the federal Liberal government fully fund the Kananook car park in the 2022-23 budget, creating 312 additional car parks for our local community.” Dunkley Labor MP Peta Murphy said “the community is rightly sceptical of the Morrison Government’s promise of the Kananook car park given [its past] broken promise.” Ms Hosking said “the new car park is a bonus but the rail extension with all its benefits is the main game. We need state and federal governments to put up the funding and make it happen.” *Mike Hast is a freelance writer with the Committee for Greater Frankston
FREE fun day out
Sunday 10 April 2022 10am – 2pm
for kids
Cruden Farm, Langwarrin
Tractor rides • Animal farm Garden activities • Market stalls Information on local children’s services frankstonevents.com.au
Please leave your pets at home, service animals welcome.
CHILDREN MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT OR GUARDIAN AT ALL TIMES. THIS EVENT WILL BE CONDUCTED IN LINE WITH STATE GOVERNMENT ADVICE. OUR COVID SAFE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE. FRANKSTON CITY COUNCIL ACKNOWLEDGES AND PAYS RESPECT TO THE BUNURONG PEOPLE, THE TRADITIONAL CUSTODIANS OF THESE LANDS AND WATERS.
Frankston Times
5 April 2022
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